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BREAKING: S.Africa’s Zuma throws in towel
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South African President Jacob Zuma has announced his resignation in a TV address on Wednesday. “I have thereof come to the decision to resign as the President of the Republic of South Africa with immediate effect,” a somber Zuma said.
Zuma then stated that he takes the ANC seriously and is grateful to the party that in the face of its revolutionary mission it deployed him at the pinnacle of its role in government.
The ruling ANC party had threatened to eject him from office via a parliamentary vote of no confidence.
Scandal-tainted Zuma said in a 30-minute national television address (FULL TEXT BELOW) that “I have served the people of South Africa to the best of my ability. I am forever grateful that they trusted me with the highest office in the land,” he said.
Zuma, whose reputation has been stained by years-long allegations of graft, had been instructed to step down by the ANC party.
He was however still unhappy about how he had been forced out.
“I understand fully that while I serve at the pleasure of my party, the ANC, the door through which I came to serve the people of South Africa, the key is the legislative assembly,” said, adding that, “I don’t fear exiting political office however I have only asked my party to articulate my transgressions and the reason for its instructions that I vacate office.”
Zuma said if his comrades in the African National Congress (ANC) wanted to remove him, they should have done it constitutionally. He said he did not fear any motion of no confidence nor did he fear an impeachment.
“As we fight our own battles in the corridors of political power and sometimes serving the very interest of the oppressors of yesterday who joyfully celebrate as we lynch one anther. We often forget the citizens on whose behave we create a better life.”
Zuma, whose reputation has been stained by years-long allegations of graft, made his address from the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the seat of the presidency.
Following the resignation of the president, deputy president Ramaphosa is now acting president of South Africa. He will be sworn in on Thursday by the Chief Justice, and will on Friday give a State of the Nation Address.
FULL SPEECH
Statement of the President of the Republic of South Africa by The Independent Magazine on Scribd
VIDEO
The speech capped a dramatic day in which it was announced that South Africa’s parliament planned to hold a motion of no-confidence in Zuma on Thursday.
“We have now asked the chief whip to proceed with the motion of no confidence tomorrow in parliament… so that President Zuma is then removed,” ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile told reporters Wednesday.
He said parliament, where the ANC has a large majority, would then “proceed to elect (Cyril) Ramaphosa as president of the republic.”
“For us, as the ANC leadership, we can no longer wait beyond today,” Mashatile said.
“We don’t want to keep South Africa waiting. If President Zuma at some point will respond he will respond, but we can’t continue waiting. The decision has been taken and must be implemented.”
The power struggle over Zuma’s departure has put him at loggerheads with deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, his expected successor, who is the new head of the ANC.
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— The Independent (@UGIndependent) February 12, 2018
